The Human Ingredient
by Ryals-Shoal
Summary: The piece that made Xelloss the most feared of all mazoku servants has been cast aside to the mortal world. Left in the charge of Zelgadis, will this ‘human’ ingredient find the will to live in the mortal world, or return to his Master?
1. The Medallion

**Title: **The Human Ingredient  
**Pairing: **Eventual Zelgadis/Xelloss  
**Rating: **M  
**Summery: **_All mazoku servants receive their power from their creators, but for Beast Master Zelas, she decided to give her servant a little more...Over a thousand years later the piece that made Xelloss the most feared and powerful of all mozuku servants has been cast aside to the mortal world below to be left in the charge of a unpredictable comrade. In such dangerous company, will this 'human' ingredient find the will to live in the mortal world, or return to his Master?_

**Authors Notes: **Oh My Goth! A fanfic outside of Naruto? **EXPLODES** (I actually started writing Gundam Wing and Slayers fanfics to begin with!) This is a very old story of mine that I've had an urge to rewrite and finally share with the world. Thanks for reading!

**WARNING!** This story is full of yoainess, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Flames will only be pointed and laughed at for my own amusement by me and my buddy _Captain Cutlas_, so don't bother. There's lots of angst and darkness ahead!

**

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**

**The Human Ingredient**

Ch.1 The Medallion

Autumn was creeping into the land. The most obvious signs of summer's end could be witnessed in the mountainous forests far north of the city of Saillune. It was within the mountain range that the most vibrant foliage could be found due to the increasingly frigid nights, where the most beautiful of the color changing leaves could be found on the birch and oak specimens. Scattered among the dark pines, the leafy trees exploded with brilliant hues of gold and red, prompting anyone traveling through the mountain pass to pause and marvel at nature's beauty. It was a clearing consisting of such trees that motivated a particular traveling party to set up camp for the night.

The air was crisp with the promise of rain, which prompted the party to set up thick canvases above their crude beds as a precaution. Fortunately for the four travelers, it had not rained during the night, so they did not have to get up early to dry out their belongings. Instead they slept on, enjoying the fresh mountain air heavy with the scent of rain and earth to carry into their dreams.

Whether it had rained or not would have made little difference to the physical comfort of the creature that watched the travelers from the trees.

Xelloss, the General and Priest of his lord and mistress Beastmaster Zellas Metallium, waited patiently for the mortals below to arise from their sleep. As he waited, his feet kicked playfully from the oak branch he perched upon, and he hummed a nameless tune to amuse himself.

Ignoring the slumbering travelers, Xelloss allowed himself the indulgence of watching the sun rise gloriously to greet the new day. Contrary to what many mortals believe, mozoku were not monsters without appreciation of all sorts of natural beauty. Xelloss was most particular towards sunrises, especially if it were closely followed by a hearty breakfast.

At the thought of food, the mazoku drifted his gaze downward to look upon his prospective meals: The party of four mortals –two men and two women-- of which he was well acquainted with.

Mazoku do not feed upon the flesh of their prey, their immortal bodies held no use for the organic matter animals or humans provided (though sampling a little blood or raw meat was not unheard of). Being creatures of the Astral plane, mazoku required strong mental energy for nourishment. Humans are flighty idealist creatures that prefer to think that positive energy ruled their world. The truth is, the majority of its population was overrun by hardships and strife, and quite often their mortal lives are tragically and if not violently cut short. The Mazoku race had learned to cultivate that energy, encouraging its crop to flourish to expel humanity's great variety of delicacies. Hate, despair, rage, frustration...all negative emotions retain a certain flavor and texture. As with the fancy of human taste buds vary from person to person, mazoku shared as complex of pallet as any human tongue.

As for Xelloss, he enjoyed variety.

From his branch, he watched with little interest as the traveling party below him stirred from their blankets and began their morning routine. He would wait until they broke camp before he would confront them. Xelloss was well known to be a patient sort, allowing his prey to feel deceptively at ease made the meal all the more enjoyable once he began take his fill.

When the party did break camp, they continued their journey northbound through the woods. The mazoku followed from above the treetops, and did not descend until the leader of the little party, Lina Inverse started to argue with her companions over the value of some petty bauble. The wisps of the squabble, however minor reached Xelloss like the tantalizing smell of a well cooked meal. The temptation was too much. Xelloss dematerialized from above the trees...

…and reappeared behind Lina Inverse. Xelloss could sense the party's shock and sudden uneasiness, but took some amusement in the effort they showed in trying to appear unaffected by his presence.

"Goooooood morning!" Xelloss beamed at the travelers, inhaling deeply to suck in the crisp autumn air. "Fancy finding you four here so far out in the wilderness!"

Lina Inverse scowled at the Mazoku floating behind her. "What do you want, Xelloss?" she drawled.

"Oh, nothing..." The Mazoku shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. "I thought that I may enjoy your pleasurable company on this fine morning. You don't mind, do you?"

Lina rolled her eyes at the trickster, she knew better than to play into his hand. "Do whatever you like. As long as you keep it at that: just a walk. And no funny business if you know what's good for you!"

"Parish the thought!" Xelloss continued to float behind Lina as she started walking. "I do hope that you slept well in this cold weather?"

"Nothing that a fireball couldn't cure." Lina growled, refusing to turn around.

Xelloss soaked in Lina's negative emotions: The sour taste of anxiety, coupled with a healthy dose of uneasy respect of the dangers of a more powerful foe. Lina's taste was uncommon only for her resolute stubbornness, and for that it had enduring texture.

"Aren't you cold Xelloss?" The tall blonde swordsman named Gourry enquired. He pointed at Xelloss in question. "I don't see you carrying any blankets for sleeping in cold weather."

"You idiot." Lina grounded out, rubbing her temples in annoyance. "Mazoku do not possess real organic bodies." It was too cold and too early in the morning to reeducate Gourry on the biological aspects of a Mazoku form. "They don't feel cold or heat like we do."

"They don't?" Gourry's eyes widened with disbelief. The swordsman was well known for his ignorance, and for his ability to allow incoming information to depart from the other ear. "Then what do they feel?"

"What do we indeed?" A dark chuckle arose from Xelloss in answer.

Gourry instinctively gripped the handle of his sword. As dumb as he was, he recognized a threat when he heard one.

Lina shot a warning glance at Gourry to calm him from further actions that might endanger the party. The swordsman's hand slipped from the handle and he continued walking, no longer interested in conversation with the Mazoku.

The taste Gourry emitted was a common one found among many humans, spurned by stories of demon brutality and a fear for the dark unknown. Even so, ignorance came with its own variety of garnish: distrust, confusion, paranoia. A somewhat unexciting flavor, but a staple observed by all Mazoku.

"My heart leaps with joy at witnessing the birth of such a beautiful day!" Having traveled further ahead, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune had missed the little interval between Gourry and Xelloss. The perky princess stretched her arms above her head. "Nothing like a little exercise to get the blood pumping first thing in the morning! Who wants to run with me?"

Xelloss felt his meal suddenly turn bitter at the princess's disgusting optimism. Amelia's overenthusiastic efforts to 'save' him from his natural demonic ways _was_ very amusing, and for that was the only reason he tolerated her behavior.

"Amelia, can it wait until spring, when it's warm?" Lina grumbled.

The princess performed a few arm flexes and beamed. "A true servant of justice must have a strong body to combat the forces of evil, Miss Lina!"

Xelloss smiled at the impulsive statement. "Oh? Does that mean you would want to combat me Amelia-san?"

"I-uh..." Amelia gulped, her optimism faltering considerably under Xelloss's toothy grin. Underneath all the bravado, Amelia was just as uneasy as the rest of the humans, and buried her fear with over the top theatrics and loud noises.

Lina Inverse waggled a stern finger at the smiling mazoku. "What did I say about 'funny' business? Hm?"

"Ah, it was just a question!" Xelloss chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I had no intention of acting upon it. You have such little faith in me Lina-san."

"Hmph." was Lina's neutral reply. The sorceress turned around in a blatant display of ignoring the Mazoku.

Xelloss was about to provoke Lina further when he heard a gruff voice growl at him from behind. "Why do you find so much amusement in bothering us? Don't you have other things to do, _Mozoku_?" The last word was spat out.

Ah, the main course: Zelgadis Greywords. Xelloss immediately set his attentions upon the chimera. His special blend consisted of a hatred born upon a deep seeded dislike for the Mazoku that would most satisfy Xelloss' pallet. That, and Zelgadis was an endless source of amusement.

The chimera had been lagging far behind the traveling party, no doubt in an attempt to separate himself from the Mazoku as far as possible.Xelloss drifted away from the main group until he was floating directly in front of his prey. "Is there's anything that I can do to improve your mood Zelgadis-san?" Xelloss smiled.

Zelgadis was not amused by the mischievous smirk on the trickster's face. "I will not have anything to do with your games."

"Oh?" Xelloss pouted. "If you don't prefer my company, perhaps I can introduce you to a few of my Mazoku friends who might want to obtain such an unusual treasure such as yourself." Xelloss smirked when Zelgadis tensed with anger. Encouraged by this, Xelloss continued: "It is a morbid fascination those Mazoku have, even among those of their own kind; To be intrigued by beings such as yourself that are neither fully human nor Mazoku, but are something else entirely..."

"ENOUGH!" Zelgadis swung around to deal a blow to Xelloss' face, but the Mazoku priest merely dematerialized to a different spot.

The chimera seethed with murderous rage, a primal growl stirred deep within his throat. Xelloss laughed mockingly.

Surprisingly, Zelgadis composed himself. Though he kept his temper in check, delightful pools of frustration and hate seeped through the cracks. The chimera gave the mazoku a look of disdain. "You are a pest Xelloss." he spat, and turned away.

"Zel!" Lina cried. "Where are you going?"

Zelgadis continued to storm off. "I'm going back to check the libraries" he huffed. "I will meet up with you in a couple of days at Levanwurth."

"He's going all the way back to Delmaar?" Gourry scratched his head. "That's over a day away!"

"Ohh! There he goes again!" Lina stomped her foot in frustration. "That jerk just does whatever he pleases!"

"Zelgadis-san..." Amelia watched the sorcerer disappear around a bend of pine trees, she was obviously contemplating on joining him.

"He'd want to be alone, he's in one of _those _moods again." Lina pushed Amelia non to gently forward to keep her moving. "Besides, I want to get this medallion appraised as soon as possible in Levanwurth, the sooner I sell it, the sooner we eat Levanwurth's world famous quadruple seven layer cheese and sausage quiche!"

Xelloss' interest piqued. "A medallion, Miss Lina?"

"Yeah, I found it in some ruins along the coast a while back." From her pocket, Lina pulled forth a flat yellow metallic disk with symbols engraved into its surface. "I didn't think much about it at first, other than it is in remarkable condition for being buried near the beach." She shrugged. "By the structure of the ruins where this was found, I guess that it predates the war of the monster's fall, or even further back."

"Hm." Xelloss tapped a finger to his chin, and gestured towards the medallion. "May I?"

Lina tossed the medallion over to the mazoku. "Don't go running off with it. That thing's gonna be our meal ticket."

"Do not fret yourself Lina-san." Xelloss' fingers traced the grooves set into the medallion's smooth surface. On both sides of the medallion were identical images of an open eye, the pupil representing a moon and jagged teeth outlining the outer rim of the bottom eyelid.

"It does not look like any royal crest that I have ever seen." Amelia chewed the bottom of her lip in thought. "Or from any temple, for that matter."

"I think I know what this is." Xelloss held the medallion up to the sunlight. "If I am correct–of that I'm sure, than this medallion is very, very old."

Lina raised her eyebrows. "Pre-monster war?"

Xelloss nodded sagely. "During that time, the Mazoku were gathering their forces for the war. The humans meanwhile, were collecting resources in preparation of the war as well, though their objective was to survive being in the front lines." Xelloss flipped the medallion in the air, watching the early morning sunlight catch in its polished surface.

**

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_Somewhere in the recesses of far memory, a flutter of familiarity stirred. The hands of a child emerge from the dark corners of faded memory, a candle grasped in one pale hand to guide his way through the dark. _

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Xelloss shook his head slightly to rid himself of the strange vision, a mazoku as old as he sometimes had memories or visions surface sporadically from his long existence. He ignored the uneasy feeling and continued with his history lesson. "As with any nation or temple hard pressed for followers, 'missionaries' were deployed to fill in the ranks."

"Yes, yes, but what was _that_ for?" Lina pressed, pointing to the medallion.

"My guess, is that this particular medallion belonged to one of those temple sects. The priests would wear these around their neck as a symbol of the temple they served."

"An ancient sect!" Lina's eyes glittered with dreams of gold. "How valuable is it?"

The mazoku's brows furrowed in deep thought. "I believe that it is worth..." Xelloss paused to calculate on his fingers, his face brightened once he reached an estimate. "Absolutely nothing!"

"Gah!" Lina nearly tripped over her feet, her face aghast. "Are you sure about that?"

Xelloss' smile beamed. "This medallion is so old that any records about the temple have crumbled to dust. All that is left of the temple and its faith resides in this picture." He pointed to the symbol engraved.

**

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_The hands place the candle down in front of an alter. The tiny flame illuminates the silver crest of a giant eye set with jagged teeth and a crescent moon for a pupil. Through the orange glow of the candle, the child peers at his reflection through one of the jagged teeth jutting from the eye. And what the child saw was..._

**

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Xelloss shuddered, his physical form grasped at his staff for support. His entire astral body shook as a wave of memory poured forth like water from a broken dam to beat upon his psyche. _'I remember._' He thought as another wave of memory racked him. '_The temple, the island…the wolves. I remember all of it._'

"Are you alright?" Lina was baffled by the sudden odd behavior in Xelloss, but was hesitant in aiding a distressed Mazoku.

_-Xelloss-_

Xelloss stiffened at the voice he heard in his head. '_My Mistress summons me?_' the connection between Master and Servant was a bond that permanently bound his consciousness to her mind. He was made from Zellas, she was both his creator and god. Xelloss can no more defy a request from his Mistress than a pebble could stop a tide.

With his feet planted firmly on the ground, Xelloss straightened up to meet Lina's inquisitive face. "I...must not keep her waiting." And with those cryptic words, Xelloss disappeared.

"What was that all about?" Gourry wondered. "He looked really upset."

Lina shrugged. "Who knows? All mazoku, especially Xelloss are finicky." Lina spun on her heels to walk towards the source of Levanwurth quiche. "No matter what Xelloss says, I can still sell the medallion to some rich collector chump! Something that old has got to be worth something!"

"Um, how are you going to do that Lina-san?" Amelia pointed to the spot Xelloss disappeared from. "I think Xelloss-san took it with him."

Lina's jaw dropped. "Why that double crossing butt kissing...DAMMIT Xelloss!" Lina's eyes bulged with rage as she cursed the heavens vehemently at the elusive mazoku who was no longer present in the human dimension.

**

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Xelloss knelt before the elegant feet of his master. "You summoned me, my mistress?"

_-Might you suspect my reasoning for thy summoning?-_ Greater Beast Zellas Metalliam sat upon her throne of bones and pelts, gold bracelets jingled musically as one well manicured finger tapped the cigarette stick. Her face was obscured by decorative drapery and shadow.

Xelloss knew better than to deceive his creator. Swallowing, he opened his palm to expose the weathered medallion.

_-I thought so._- Zellas' remark was smug, she lifted the stick and inhaled a long dreg. _-I always suspected that this would happen someday, that thy particular element might awaken to distract thee from thine duties.-_ A small sigh escaped her lips, followed by smoke which curled up the draperies. -_I pity thee, my one and only beloved.-_

Xelloss had a feeling on what his Mistress might be hinting. "Will you...cleanse me?" he gulped.

Zellas laughed, a light melodious voice that carried the sound of her jingling gold jewelry. -_I could do that, destroy thy very essence that granted thee so much power oh so long ago. However...-_ In the shadows, Zellas' yellow eyes glittered like sparkling jewels. -'_It' was an essential ingredient at the time, but also a nuisance. Perhaps my retainer no longer requires thine service?_- She sucked her cigarette in thought, contemplating on the fate of her only mazoku servant.

Through the dark curtains of his bangs, Xelloss watched the ashes from the cigarette fall to the floor. If he had possessed a human body, it would have been trembling with apprehension. Such was the fear and respect he reserved only for his mistress. He closed his eyes, sensing that his Mistress had reached a conclusion.

_-I have decided, rather then destroy that which has served both thou and mine faithfully for so long, I shall be merciful and allow 'it' to walk freely once again.-_

Xelloss' eyes snapped opened, he stared with wide eyed shock at his creator. "Mistress! You can't mean-"

_-Aye, my beloved. I shall cleanse thee!-_ Beams of white light surrounded Xelloss. His bind forbade him to fight back against his Master, but left him free to plead. "Mistress! I beg of you! Please!"

From the shadows, Zellas watched unmoving as her former servant let out a final shriek before he was engulfed entirely by the blinding white light. Following the silence, the light contracted in on itself to form a long pillar. Inside it, a young man floated within the light. All over his naked flesh and unnaturally twisted limbs, dark bruises and deep bloody cuts laid all evidence of a brutal beating.

_-Hmph. I forgot how pathetic thine state was in when I found ye.- _Zellas leaned back on her soft pelts, regarding the unconscious body within the pillar. -_No matter, I am kind enough to clean thou up and dispose ye where one of thy mortal friends will find ye. Though, I think thee shall wish that I had taken thine life._- Cigarette smoke streamed from her nostrils as she watched the body disappear from her sight. _-Farewell, my defect_.-

**

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**Long ago...**

It was a cold black night. Rain drizzled through the branches to fall mercilessly upon the back of a small frightened child.

"Momma? Papa? Wake up, the wolves are coming!" The child could not be more than four. Terrified by the distant howls of wolves, he sat weeping next to the charred bodies of his parents. A red light had come from the distance, striking them dead before the boy's eyes. The child was too young to fully understand the concept of death, but he continued to feebly beg the corpses to rise to his aid.

A figure emerged from the mist; a bearded old man clad in the white robes of a priest approached the corpses and child.

As exhausted as he was, the child could not fight back when the stranger gathered him into his long arms, though he did whimper when the priest began to walk away from the bodies. "They have gone into the Passing." The priest murmured. "Their bodies will provide nourishment to the Goddess' servants. It is an honor."

The child received little comfort from these words, but remained silently chewing on his thumb as the distant howls of the wolves gradually neared the site of fresh meat.

The priest took the child to a vast temple made of white stone. There, dozens of other similarly dressed priests crowded around the bearded priest as he set the child down in the main hall.

"The Goddess' Oracle has been fulfilled!" The bearded priest declared, he wore the purple insignias that ranked him as the head priest of the temple. Smiling in triumph, he placed a hand on the child's head, his nails dug into the boy's scalp as he continued to roar his announcement. "Indeed this is the child of prophesy! He shall be the one to lead us unto greatness of a new era governed by the lordship of the Goddess herself!"

Below, the child feebly struggled against the old man's grasp, the blunt nails dug down more painfully to hold him still.

"As ordained by our Goddess, we shall baptize him with a name worthy of greatness, a name created by the Goddess herself! This child shall be named Xelloss!"

Terrified of both the priests and surroundings, the boy now named Xelloss could not resist as several white clad hands reached out to pull him further into the realms of his strange new world.

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Please Please Please R/R!


	2. A Friend In Need

**Title: **The Human Ingredient  
**Pairing: **Eventual Zelgadis/Xelloss  
**Rating: **M  
**Summery: **_All mazoku servants receive their power from their creators, but for Beast Master Zelas, she decided to give her servant a little more...Over a thousand years later the piece that made Xelloss the most feared and powerful of all mozuku servants has been cast aside to the mortal world below to be left in the charge of a unpredictable comrade. In such dangerous company, will this 'human' ingredient find the will to live in the mortal world, or return to his Master?_

**Authors Notes: **Oh My Goth! A fanfic outside of Naruto? **EXPLODES** (I actually started writing Gundam Wing and Slayers fanfics to begin with!) This is a very old story of mine that I've had an urge to rewrite and finally share with the world. Thanks for reading!

**WARNING!** This story is full of yoainess, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Flames will only be pointed and laughed at for my own amusement by me and my buddy _Captain Cutlas_, so don't bother. There's lots of angst and darkness ahead!

**

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**Ch.2 A Friend In Need...

The first thing Xelloss' conscious mind registered was that he had been sealed off from the astral plane. The thousands of doors that had allowed him to explore freely from one dimension to the next had been sealed and shut, leaving him just a single organic plane as the one and only outlet. Within the few seconds the former mazoku had awakened into his new world, he was already experiencing the first strings of claustrophobia.

Very slowly, Xelloss' eyes opened to meet with the grey sky above. Dark clouds raced across the sky, spurned on with the promise of a storm. Long grasses framed his vision, as well as the tops of pine trees. He could feel the stalks of grass move against his skin, the cold wind blew over his naked flesh, causing his prone body to shiver.

'_Where am I?'_ Slowly, Xelloss lifted a hand up to brush his tousled hair from his eyes. He paused to examine the hand: a pale, slender wrist topped with long fingers. Blood pumped underneath the skin, he could see the surface veins pulsing faintly below the palm. The arm was his. It was organic, and very human.

With some effort, Xelloss pulled his body up to a sitting position so he could gain his bearings. He had been dumped in the middle of a grassy field, with no shelter and clothing to protect him from the elements. From what he could see from the ground, the terrain resembled that of the mountain trail in which Lina Inverse and her party had traveled.

A sudden gust of wind blew across his body, sending even more terrible wracks of shivers to travel up and down his spine. He hugged his naked form as he shuddered from the cold. _'I must find warmth._'

Out from the corner of his eye, he saw a farmhouse on the edge of the field bordering the forest. Observing the farm more carefully, he spotted a white sheet had conveniently been hung out to dry. '_A little too conveniently._' A corner of Xelloss' mouth pulled. Mistress Zelas must be finding his plight terribly amusing.

Commanding his body to move correctly was like trying to wake it from a deep sleep. In his mazoku form, the physical body could be controlled with no more than a flicker of a thought. This organic body had to be manipulated by extending and contracting muscles in unison. With a bit of practice, he was able to control his body with enough instinctive ease to snatch the sheet from its branch and steal away without being noticed.

As we walked down the path towards the village, Xelloss set himself to work on clothing himself. With a hole torn through the middle, and a strip of the linen as a belt, he fashioned the cloth into a crude tunic. It did little to protect him from the elements. Ironically, Xelloss had visited Dynst Grauscherra's ice realm in the North Pole recently and had not been bothered by the cold. Now, this autumn weather was almost more than he could stand.

After nearly ten minutes of walking through wet mud, Xelloss decided to risk performing some magic. He had no idea how much power he had retained as a human from his previous existence as a mazoku, and was afraid of losing control. Now with the cold gnawing at him, the risk no longer seemed so great.

Knitting his brows together, Xelloss tried to gather magic to form into his hand. _A simple fireball would do, it's warm._ He bit his lower lip in concentration as he reached within his being to draw forth the power into his palm. He could feel it, waiting to burst forth as soon as it became untapped. But like a stubborn cork, the magic refused to emerge. Something was in the way. Xelloss' lips curled down in frustration.

So intense was his concentration that he failed to avoid brushing his bare foot against the razor sharp edge of a rock embedded in the mud. With a yelp, Xelloss fell heavily to the ground, gripping his foot in an effort to staunch the pain. His breath hissed through clenched teeth as he inspected the wound: A jagged cut ran alongside his toe, bright red blood oozed out to mix with the dark mud.

It was then, that Xelloss tasted a strange feeling in the back of his throat, one that derived a small amount of pleasure from his human form receiving physical pain.

"No." Xelloss shook his head and pushed back the feeling far from his mind. He was both confused and repulsed at his strange reaction to his demonic nature. "What is happening to me? Does this human form reject my mazoku nature?"

Xelloss shuddered at this realization. He leaned up against a tree to bandage his bleeding foot with torn strips from his tunic, muttering his thoughts aloud as he did so. "Human and mazoku do not mix well" he mused. "Its an unnatural combination." He sighed miserably, then gazed up to the cloudy sky above. Xelloss understood his Mistress well, and knew that she rarely withdrew a decision once it has been made. He could expect neither help nor pity from his former master, he was completely alone. Xelloss felt utterly pathetic.

White clouds glided across the sky, obscuring any glimpse of the blue sky underneath. '_Its all so white.' _Xelloss thought as a whisper of an old memory formed itself into being. _'White is the color of purity.'_

**

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**Long Ago...**

"--White is the color of purity." The head priest Cronus said, gazing about the room as he continued his monthly sermon. "We wear this color to symbolize our dedication to the Goddess and as a rejection to all worldly things. White is the color of purification and above all, devotion and obedience to our order."

Twelve years had passed since Cronus had brought the little orphaned boy to the temple. Now, that child of prophesy chosen by the esteemed Goddess herself, was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

"Wake up Xelloss!" A young apprentice a few years older than Xelloss roughly elbowed him awake.

Xelloss yelped aloud from the jab, and caused the entire assemblage, including Cronus to glare at him in disapproval. Xelloss withered under their glares, and smiled apologetically.

Cronus cleared his throat and continued with his speech.

------

"Gah, I HATE these bi-monthly sermons!" Kris, the apprentice who had jabbed Xelloss complained as they walked together along the white marbled corridors to their rooms. "High Priest Cronus has a tendency to drone on and on when fewer words would do." Kris stretched his arms above his head and scratched his sandy colored hair. "When I become a priest of his status, I promise to give speeches that are more to the point!"

"I don't think that Cronus likes me." Xelloss muttered, he had not been listening to his companion's complaints.

"Hm?" Kris glanced over to his friend. "Why would you think that? Don't forget that it was High Priest Cronus that saved your life all those years ago."

Xelloss scoffed. "Sometimes I wished that he didn't. Besides from you, everyone in the temple and the village distances themselves from me. They greet me with smiles but it doesn't reach their eyes, its almost as if they're waiting for something horrible from me." The young apprentice shook his head sadly. "I sometimes feel like a lamb being led to the slaughter with all this 'Child of Prophesy' business."

"You shouldn't say that." Kris said firmly. "There are plenty of people in the order who care about you, Cronus included."

"I don't know..." Xelloss shrugged. "They just feel so...hollow towards me. By the Goddess, I wish I could leave it all and go with you tomorrow!"

Kris stopped walking. "What? Do you mean my missionary assignment?"

Xelloss smiled meekly, and scratched his head in embarrassment. "I am a bit jealous, you know that I'm not even allowed to leave the island. I wish I had the freedom that you do to see the world."

Kris smiled warmly, and clasped his hands on his young friend's shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll come back to rescue you from these gloomy farts. You'll see!"

Xelloss returned the smile. "I hope so."

The next day, the young Xelloss waved fervently from the town docks to his Kris as he sailed swiftly out to the mainland. All of Xelloss' most happy memories stemmed from the company of his childhood friend, as well as all of his hopes and dreams for a brighter and happier future. Sadly, those hopes and dreams were not meant to be, and it would be the last time Xelloss would be alive to see Kris.

**

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**Now...**

It had began to rain.

Xelloss sneezed. The sudden combination of moisture and cold brought forth a multitude of new scents which bothered his sensitive nose. The rainwater soaked through his thin tunic and chilled his already freezing body. Xelloss decided that he hated the rain. He had adopted a broken branch to lean on for his injured foot, which throbbed constantly and stung whenever he tried to put weight on it.

Through the trees, he could spot the tops of several steeped roof buildings. _'That must be Leavenworth. Apparently that is where my savior awaits.'_ Xelloss thought glumly. Xelloss paused to tap his walking stick on the soggy ground as he mulled over his next move. _'My Mistress has never lied to me. She said that she would place me near a mortal friend. If I had been suspended for a day than Lina should still be in town.'_

For as much trouble he had caused Lina Inverse in the past, Xelloss had little doubt in his mind that she would coldly turn him away in his condition. In spite of everything that Lina claimed to be, she remained one susceptible to human compassion. It was that compassion Xelloss would have to rely on. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out from the forest and into the town.

**

* * *

**

Zelgadis stepped outside Delmaar's one and only library, which also doubled as a book store. Noticing the rain, he pulled his hood down over his eyes. "Che, I hate this mountain weather" he grumbled to himself.

The Chimera was mildly pleased that his venture into the basement of the dusty library had not been entirely uneventful. He had found a broken down trunk pushed far into a forgotten nook which contained a multitude of early chimera research notes and journals. Zelgadis was already familiar with the information the old notes provided, but was able to find in one of the journals, some hints of a hidden laboratory not too far away. Zelgadis was satisfied with discovering this new lead, and he fully intended to pursue it. _'Probably not in this rain.'_ he thought, gazing up into the stormy sky. Magic or no magic, it was dangerous to trek mountain trails during a full fledged storm.

"Hey, what the hell's up with that weirdo?"

Zelgadis' left eye twitched at the comment he heard behind him. _'That punk is asking for a fireball in the face.' _With fangs bared he turned to confront the speaker, then realized with a start that he was not the target for scrutiny.

At the end of the road leading out of town, a hunched figure stood leaning heavily on a broken branch, he was dressed in a tattered sheet, pale limbs stuck out from the white cloth, contrasting greatly with the travel stained garment. Shoulder length hair the color of fading twilight hung in dark strands from the weight of the rain. The hair plastered against a strained face, taut with agitation and unease with the unfamiliar surroundings.

It was a face that Zelgadis knew too well. "What the–!" he sputtered, rage overcoming his initial shock. "_Xelloss!_"

The said figure in the tattered sheet looked up at his name, and balked at the sight of the angry Chimera fast approaching him._ 'Oh no, not him. Anyone but him!'_

"What the hell are you doing here?" Zelgadis snatched at the loose linen to pull his most hated rival close to his face. "You have some nerve showing your face after what you just said yesterday!"

"I-I-I..." Xelloss had not expected to be deposited near Zelgadis, and was at a total loss for words to explain himself to the Chimera's violent temper. "I n-need your help" he finally stammered, his voice sounding incredibly small to his own ears.

"Eh?" Zelgadis paused, finally noticing the ragged state Xelloss was in. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I have faulted my Mistress, she has sentenced me into a mortal form." The words poured from Xelloss in a rush, he tried vainly to keep the anxiety from seeping in his voice. Now was not the time to panic. "My Mistress left me here for a mortal friend to find me, I swear to you that I'd thought that she'd leave me with Lina!"

"Bah!" Zelgadis threw Xelloss into the muddy street, where he fell on his back. "I'm no friend of yours. Don't take me as someone so naive as to fall for your tricks _Mazoku_, even with that pathetic human costume. Whatever it is you are up to, I will not be some pawn for you to play." With a final glare, he turned to leave. "If you really are a mortal, freeze to death for all I care!"

Xelloss scrambled to his knees, despair welled up inside him as he watched his only link for survival walk away. "No, don't!" he whispered, clutching his frame. "Don't leave me here to die."

As the former Mazoku was still unaccustomed to using his newfound human senses, he did not notice that several men with ale heavy in their breaths had approached him. "Well looky here boys! We got ourselves a peddler in our town!"

Xelloss turned to find the source of the gruff voice, but was dealt a punch to his chest before he could see his attacker's face. Reeling from the explosion of pain that coursed through his body, he laid gasping on the ground. A second voice chuckled cruelly. "What's this fella up to? He seems to like rolling in the mud!

"We don't take to your scum in our town!" A third angrier voice chimed in as he rained kicks on his victim's unprotected back. "Getaway and go beg somewhere else afore you're dead!"

Xelloss curled into a ball in a desperate attempt to protect himself from his assailants. It was all that he could do. Blood began to mix with the mud that flew from the fight.

Zelgadis could not help but hear the beating with his sensitive ears. He paused, the sounds of cruel laughter rang in his ears, and the metallic scent of blood stung his nostrils.

"Dammit" Zelgadis muttered a chant under his breath and turned to face the thugs with palms glowing red. _"Fireball!_"

The assailants scattered immediately, howling with both rage and terror as they beat the flames at their clothes. As with all bullies, they were cowards at heart, and did not try to retaliate against the intrusive sorcerer.

With a few long strides, Zelgadis came upon the bruised and bloody form sprawled unconscious in the mud. Xelloss' narrow chest rose in shuddering breaths with what sounded like a broken rib.

"Hmpf, pathetic" the Chimera muttered as he carefully gathered the limp body. For the moment, the Mazoku appeared as a badly injured human, and Zelgadis's conscience could not ignore that, enemy or not. _'Whatever the hell scheme you have going on, I'll only play with it so far until I can get some answers from you.'_

With Xelloss draped in his arms, Zelgadis hurried back to the inn.

TBC

Please Please R?R!

**

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**


	3. The Fall

**Title:** The Human Ingredient  
**Pairing:** Eventual Zelgadis/Xelloss  
**Rating:** M  
**Summery:**_All mazoku servants receive their power from their creators, but for Beast Master Zelas, she decided to give her servant a little more...Over a thousand years later the piece that made Xelloss the most feared and powerful of all mozuku servants has been cast aside to the mortal world below to be left in the charge of a unpredictable comrade. In such dangerous company, will this 'human' ingredient find the will to live in the mortal world, or return to his Master?_

**Authors Notes:** Oh My Goth! A fanfic outside of Naruto? EXPLODES (I actually started writing Gundam Wing and Slayers fanfics to begin with!) This is a very old story of mine that I've had an urge to rewrite and finally share with the world. Thanks for reading!

**WARNING! **This story is full of yoainess, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Flames will only be pointed and laughed at for my own amusement by me and my buddy Captain Cutlas, so don't bother. There's lots of angst and darkness ahead!

**

* * *

**

Ch.3: The Fall

**Long Ago...**

Several years had passed since the Missionary departed from the Island. The 'Child of Prophesy' was now a young man. At the moment, that young man was reminded of the ironic remark he had made to his long departed friend Kris long ago _'I sometimes feel like a lamb being led to the slaughter with all this 'Child of Prophesy' business.'_

Now Cronus, the elderly High Priest of the Island Goddess sect glared down at the cowering figure before him. "You have been convicted of heresy against our temple and its people!" His deep voice boomed throughout the night air, sending tremors through his victim. The pair were surrounded by the entire population of the village and the temple, many carried torches and weapons.

Xelloss cringed under their hate laden glares. "Wh-what did I do? High Priest, please tell me what I did wrong!"

"Silence!" Cronus pointed an accusing figure at the young man. Eyes as hard as flint glared from his craggy face and spittle flew from his mouth to stick to his white beard. "Nothing that you do or say will revoke the verdict decided by the oracle! Such debauchery on your part–indeed, your very existence– offends all that we hold most sacred!" The old man turned to address the crowd in a sweeping motion, causing his indigo robes to flutter in the smokey air. "We must appease our Goddess by offering this heretic's life as retribution, She demands his screams! She demands his blood! Only then shall we be rewarded with Her divine gift as the prophesy has foretold!"

The crowd roared its approval, spurned on with religious frenzy. Several of the villagers started up a chant, while others pounded their weapons into the ground for emphasis.

Tears well up in Xelloss' eyes, he was too stunned to struggle as several burly priests dragged him to one of the many fallen pillars scattered around the temple. With four priests in charge of a limb, they stretched him over the pillar with his vitals exposed. The terrified prisoner whimpered as he heard the Headmaster order a villager to bring forth a heavy mallet to break the heretic's arms and legs.

"Now," Cronus leaned over into his sacrificial victim's face. "I can finish what I had started all those years ago!" His eyes gleamed with a fanatical light, and he raised the mallet high above his head.

Xelloss tightly closed his eyes and waited for the first blow.

**

* * *

**

**Now...**

With a gasp, Xelloss bolted awake. Adrenaline coursed throughout his body with the need for flight or fight. Realizing that he was not in danger, he calmed almost immediately and wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. _'Another memory.'_

"So, you're finally awake."

Xelloss turned towards the voice to find Zelgadis leaning casually against a closed door. Now fully awake, Xelloss could see that the room he occupied belonged to a backwoods inn with furnishings old and frugal. At the moment, all of his attention was focused on the Chimera's eyes, which held a chilling resemblance to the cold look that had belonged to the High Priest of his dream. "What happened?" he asked, pulling the warm sheets around his body, realizing with a start that he was only dressed in one of Zelgadis' spare tunics.

From his cloak, Zelgadis produced a loaf of bread and some cheese. "You've been asleep for nearly two days with a fever. Here," he tossed the food onto Xelloss' bed. "Your body needs the nourishment."

Xelloss skeptically looked down at the food on his lap then back to the chimera's scowling face. "W-why are you doing this?"

"You ask why?" Zelgadis folded his arms across his chest. "I healed your wounds, as far as I can tell your body appears to be human. However..." he fixed his companion another icy stare and growled dangerously. "I know that you are playing on my human compassion, and that is fine. It is my compassion that separates myself from_ your _kind."

Xelloss resisted the urge to gulp while being stared down by those cold eyes. It was only at that moment in which he realized how dangerous his predicament was. As a powerless mortal, he was at the complete mercy of Zelgadis.

The said Chimera broke off the stare and scoffed. "You're coming with me to Levenwurth. I'm sure that Lina will figure out what to do with you."

Xelloss took a bite of the hard cheese, and made a face as he experienced the forgotten sensation of taste. "So then, you'll leave me with Lina. What will you do?"

"I will have nothing to do with you. As soon as we get the Levenwurth, the sooner we can part ways." Zelgadis smiled sarcastically, exposing his sharp teeth. "I'm sure you feel the same way."

Xelloss returned the smile as a sneer. "You're not exactly the welcome that I'd expected."

"Either way," Zelgadis unhooked a patched cloak from the wall and threw it at his companion. "You need clothes before we leave. Meet me downstairs when you're ready, its an overnight walk to Levenwurth and we leave today." Without another word, Zelgadis slammed the door shut behind him before Xelloss could say anything.

_'I'll be glad to be rid of him'_ Xelloss thought sourly as he began to dress himself.

**

* * *

**

Being a small mountain community, the town of Delmaar had little demand for tailoring services. As a result, the local tailor shop proved to be a disappointment.

Zelgadis had no intention of spending any more of his time or money on Xelloss as possible, and instead of ordering an outfit to be made, they rummaged through the piles of secondhand clothes that the elderly tailor had collected throughout the years.

Xelloss clutched his tattered cloak about himself for warmth and apathetically watched the old tailor sort through his wares to find suitable clothing in his size.

"Not much to choose from, young sir" the tailor apologized in a creaky voice and cast aside a few threadbare tunics into the corner of his dingy shop.

Zelgadis tapped the heavily scarred table impatiently. "I don't care if it matches or not, just give me the cheapest outfit."

"White clothes are the cheapest" the old tailor quipped as he pulled out a yellowed tunic. "Lye deposits are common in the mountains, we use it to bleach our clothes. Dyed fabric is more expensive around these parts.

"Fine. Give me all white then."

Upon hearing Zelgadis' demand, Xelloss was suddenly reminded of the words High Priest Cronus had once preached:

_'White is the color of purity.'_

"I don't wear white." Xelloss stated flatly.

Zelgadis glanced at his companion and scowled. "Whatever, just choose what you want then." He tossed a small bag of coppers to the tailor, then headed outside without a backward glance to Xelloss. "Make it quick, or I'll leave you behind."

With help from the kind tailor, Xelloss was quickly able to put together a wardrobe. The colors he had settled upon reflected his mood: monochromatic. With the exception of brown leather shoes and a light grey tunic, everything was black.

When Xelloss finally emerged from the shop fully dressed in his purchases, Zelgadis greeted him with a snort. "I'll say that you don't wear white" he scoffed.

Xelloss ignored him.

**

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**

After a few hours traveling outside town, Xelloss was beginning to dearly wish that he had the ability to levitate. Not being used to traveling on foot, the hike through the mountain trail was proving to be difficult for his newly formed organic body. Countless times he had stumbled and fell over loose rocks, and several times he had been scrapped by the rough bark of trees.

Zelgadis' patience was wearing increasingly thin as the morning turned to late afternoon. They were hours behind schedule. Nearing the bend of a steep trail, Zelgadis turned to call down at his companion struggling behind. "Stop wasting time Xelloss. We can Ray Wing up the trail from here."

"I-can't" Xelloss huffed as he pulled himself over a ledge of loose earth. "I have not been able to use any spells since I've been condemned to the accursed human form!"

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "Condemned, eh?"

"Yes." Xelloss collapsed at Zelgadis' feet, gasping for breath. "I've forgotten how weak organic bodies are. How can you stand to live like this?"

"I'm used to it, you're just out of shape." Zelgadis tossed a waterskin to his companion, who accepted it gratefully. "What you just said, about forgetting what it was like having an organic form...were you once human?"

"A long time ago." Xelloss uncorked the waterskin and took a long drink. "Or a part of me was, at least. It has been over a thousand years since I have experienced living as a mortal, and even that was brief."

"Do you remember any of it?" Zelgadis asked, his curiosity piqued.

Xelloss shook his head. "Not much. The memories I had retained as a human are lost among all the other memories as a mazoku, though there are now several blank areas where my memories has been erased."

"Ah," Zelgadis nodded with understanding. "To keep secrets of the Mazoku race from reaching the humans."

"That," Xelloss agreed "and for the simple reason that my puny human brain could not cope with the vast and complex memory of a mazoku."

He handed the waterskin back to Zelgadis. "My Mistress was kind enough to remove all knowledge of vital importance to her and the Mazoku race from my organic brain. I am no longer a threat, nor a concern to Mazoku society."

"Consider that a good thing." Zelgadis clipped the waterskin back to his belt. "If you don't mind me asking, what was it like to live during those times, as a human?"

Xelloss thought for a moment, recounting all that had resurfaced in the past few days in a single closed off sentence. "Difficult."

Masking raw human emotions was a skill Xelloss had not yet mastered, the pained look that crossed Xelloss' face did not escape Zelgadis' notice. He made a mental note to pay attention to his companion's expressions for future observation.

Xelloss sat up abruptly, quickly changing the subject "I feel much better now, can we get going?"

Zelgadis shrugged, taking the hint that the conversation was over. "The path gets steeper from here." He pointed to the ridge where they were to cross. "It will be easy traveling once we get over that point, but at the rate you're going, it'll be dark by the time we cross it."

"Hm." Xelloss chewed the bottom of his lip as he studied the impeding route with a fair amount of dread. "Isn't there another way around?"

"Not unless you can use magic." Zelgadis turned away to begin the climb. "Don't fall too far behind."

Xelloss sighed with resignation and hurried to follow.

**

* * *

**

They were a little past the halfway point when disaster struck.

Xelloss cried out in surprise when a patch of broken shale slid under his feet, causing him to lose his balance and topple backwards.

Alerted by Xelloss' cries, Zelgadis whipped around to glimpse his companion rolling down the hill. "Shit!" he cursed and leaped down to slide after him. Loose rocks and dirt flew from his feet "Xelloss!"

Luckily, the former mazoku had crashed into the trunk of a thick pine tree. Zelgadis sighed with relief upon seeing that the tree had stopped his companion from flying over a cliff that jutted a few feet beyond the path. "Are you all right?"

The mound that was Xelloss groaned and righted himself from the ground. Sitting on his knees, he pulled loose twigs from his hair, he seemed to have escaped the fall with minor injuries. "Dammit, I wish I had gloves" Xelloss complained as he prodded a bleeding gash that run under his right thumb.

Zelgadis inspected the wound from where he stood. "Its only a shallow cut. Bind it with the linen strips that I gave you." Without a backwards glance, he turned to resume his ascent up the trail. "We only have a few hours of daylight left, we need to reach the ridge before it gets dark."

It only took a few moments before Zelgadis realized that his companion was not following him. Irritated, Zelgadis turned to yell at Xelloss to follow, but the words died in his throat at what he saw.

Xelloss was staring at the bloodied hand before him, a look of entrapped fascination upon his face as he watched the stream of crimson cascade down his wrist to stain his sleeve. His violet eyes glazed over as something dark and primal stirred within him, an urge that reveled in the pain his body felt. Slowly, he leaned over to lap up the blood with his tongue.

"Don't do that!" Zelgadis snatched Xelloss' wrist and pulled it away. An uncomfortable urge was stirring inside the Chimera at the sight of Xelloss' sudden interest in his wound. Zelgadis pushed the feeling away and concentrated on the task in front of him. "Never mind," he told Xelloss, avoiding his gaze. "I'll heal that wound." Zelgadis quickly chanted a healing spell under his breath.

A look of rage flickered in Xelloss' eyes when the Chimera had pulled his hand away, but it disappeared in a heartbeat. Xelloss blinked, then shuddered. _'That feeling again? Its getting stronger'_ he thought with dread

Once all traces of the wound and blood had faded away, Zelgadis pulled Xelloss to his feet by his newly healed hand.

"We need to keep moving" The Chimera muttered and turned away, suddenly wanting to avoid his companion and the uncomfortable feelings he had stirred.

Xelloss studied the faint scar under his thumb where it had been bleeding moments before. He was unsure of what to feel or think. Taking care to watch his step, he followed his reluctant traveling companion up the trail.

Up in the trees, a pair of bright eyes observed the two travelers continue their journey through the mountain trail. The being–for it was definitely not human– watched with little interest as the chimera strode far ahead, giving little heed to the difficult plight of his weaker companion.

It was the second of the two travelers that the eyes were intently focused on. Even from its high position up in the trees, the being could smell the unmistakable scent of Beastmaster Zellas clinging to his aura.

The eyes blinked once, then disappeared into the shadows.

**

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**

TBC

Please R/R!


	4. Consumed

**Title:** The Human Ingredient  
**Pairing:** Eventual Zelgadis/Xelloss  
**Rating:** M  
**Summery:**_All mazoku servants receive their power from their creators, but for Beast Master Zelas, she decided to give her servant a little more...Over a thousand years later the piece that made Xelloss the most feared and powerful of all mozuku servants has been cast aside to the mortal world below to be left in the charge of a unpredictable comrade. In such dangerous company, will this 'human' ingredient find the will to live in the mortal world, or return to his Master?_

**Authors Notes:** Oh My Goth! A fanfic outside of Naruto? EXPLODES (I actually started writing Gundam Wing and Slayers fanfics to begin with!) This is a very old story of mine that I've had an urge to rewrite and finally share with the world. Thanks for reading!

**WARNING! **This story is full of yoainess, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Flames will only be pointed and laughed at for my own amusement by me and my buddy Captain Cutlas, so don't bother. There's lots of angst and darkness ahead!

**

* * *

**

Ch. 4: Consumed

The two travelers were forced to make camp when the steep trails became too dangerous to climb by night. Zelgadis made all the arrangements on setting up camp in a flat glade, and soon had a fire going. Once finished, he sat himself on a log by the fire and began to sharpen his sword. He maintained his silence and made no attempts to speak to his companion.

Xelloss took a seat by the fire and tried to match Zelgadis' silence, but he was becoming increasingly weary of being ignored by the Chimera and finally broke the long silence between them. "Will Lina and the others still be at Levenwurth when we arrive?"

"They usually wait a day for me at the most." Zelgadis replied without looking up from sharpening his blade. "However, once we arrive I will be leaving again. I have no intention of traveling with Lina if she decides to take you in."

"Thanks for the sentiment." Xelloss scowled.

"You're welcome."

Xelloss picked at a loose thread from his black cloak. "Where will you go after Levanwurth?"

Zelgadis paused in his sharpening to give his answer some thought. "Gledwyn. It's another mountain town. I've read reports that an old chimera research lab had been discovered in one of the caves, as well as some books and documents."

"Oh," Xelloss scoffed. "You're still pursuing that hopeless quest?"

A heavy silence fell between them. Across the fire, Zelgadis glared dangerously at his companion. "What do you mean by _hopeless_?" his words were drawn out in a growl.

Xelloss noted the tone the Chimaera had directed at him. At this, Xelloss suddenly became bolder. He was bitter at the condescending treatment Zelgadis had given him since the start of their journey, and he was tired of being intimidated by him. "Its hopeless..." Xelloss started flatly, "because it is not possible."

"What would you know about it?" Zelgadis snapped.

"I know enough" Xelloss retorted. "I know that it is near impossible for a hybrid like you or me to have our components separated once they have been merged. Its common knowledge among Mazoku to know that."

Zelgadis' expression grew darker. "You Mazoku are a pessimistic lot" he snarled. "Your high and mighty facade cannot compete with human creativity, no matter how much you boast about yourselves."

Xelloss was gaining a sense of satisfaction from irking the Chimera. "It's not a matter of creativity. Let me put this in words that my 'high and mighty' intellect can allow you to comprehend: Take a loaf of bread; Lets say that you, your human element were the flour ingredient. Combined with several other ingredients, the result is bread. To get back to the pure state of flour is impossible, the flour ingredient no longer exists. Your chemical makeup has been altered by the yeast, sugar, and salt. The flour–or should I say, our 'human' ingredient has been permanently transformed. In short, your little quest is a complete waste of time."

Zelgadis sprang up from his seat, unsheathing his sword while doing so. He pointed the weapon at Xelloss, who glared back in return. "You're the last person that I'd want to hear such drivel from!"

"Why?" Xelloss sneered, rising to his feet to be eye level with the Chimera. "Is it because you despise the fact that our humanity was just a mere ingredient to perverse experiments? We are very much alike, in that sense."

Zelgadis continued to point his sword at Xelloss' throat, his eyes hard as flint. "You are nothing like me!"

"Oh?" Xelloss' violet eyes gleamed with relish at angering the Chimera. "It is true that I resemble a human far more than you do, but like the fat trimmed off the carcass, I am still part of the Mazoku body. Inside, I am just as twisted as your deformed body." Xelloss smirked at the remark. "No offense."

"Plenty taken." Zelgadis lowered his sword to spit at his companion's feet. "I longer wish to waste my time with you" contempt laced the Chimera's words as he sheathed his sword. "You can get to Levanwuth by yourself, or die trying for all I care!" He turned his back on his stunned companion and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

'_I think I overdid it a bit.'_ Xelloss thought glumly and slumped back down to the ground. A part of him was glad to be finally rid of the Chimera, but at the same time he felt a lot less confident on reaching Levanwurth on his own.

"It shouldn't be too hard" he mumbled and poked the embers of the fire with a twig. "Just follow the path. It won't be hard at all." His mind wondered in another direction. _'But what I have to defend himself? I don't even possess a dagger, let alone magic. I wish I still had my staff at least!'_

He sighed and tried to divert his anxiety by staring into the fire. The glowing embers pulsed like a vein, its fiery dance mesmerizing him. By the flickering light, Xelloss held out his hand to inspect the faint scar that ran under his thumb. The scar was slightly pink to show that it was fresh and still healing, despite Zelgadis' healing magic.

"Only one scar" he muttered as his eyes traveled up that same arm to study his sleeved arm. He knew that under the clothing, not a single scar or trace remained to bore testament of his last moments of life he had before he died as a human...

**

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**

**Long Ago...**

A scream ripped through the night air to echo around the clearing for the mob to hear, as well as the meaty snap of bone shattering beneath living flesh.

The pain from his smashed knee threatened to send Xelloss into unconsciousness, of which High Priest Cronus had no intention of allowing him to do so. Held the mallet up for the crowd to see the traces of blood to drip from the surface of his weapon. The audience cheered their approval, and continued the rowdy chant and stomping of weapons to goad the Head Priest to inflict another blow.

"The Divine Gift from our Goddess is at hand!" Cronus shrieked fanatically and raised the mallet once again to strike at the undamaged leg.

Unable to watch, Xelloss turned away. Through eyes blurred by tears, he saw several of the villagers thrust their torches into the air as they cheered for the blow to strike. In between the moving bodies, Xelloss glimpsed the inky darkness beyond that was the forest shrouded in night.

At the edge of the forest, far from the chaos, a dark figure of a wolf stood watching Xelloss.

Time seemed to stop. The hubbub of the crowd and of Cronus' piercing voice became muffled, as if a blanket was smothering their sounds and movements to a slow rhythm. Xelloss barely noticed the phenomenon, his mind was enrapted by the presence of the wolf as it strode silently towards him, its movements long and flowing as if it were traveling though a dream. As it approached, it revealed itself to be far larger than a normal wolf, and possessed a savage scar running over its left eye. The beast passed effortlessly though the villagers and made its way to the pillar which Xelloss was laid across.

The dark wolf leaned its massive head down to sniff at the bruised and bloodied figure, its single golden eye burned with a fierce intelligence as it peered into glazed violet eyes.

_-Thine life is at an end_- it spoke in Xelloss' head, a strong feminine voice that bellied a feral growl.

Xelloss could only blink in response, confusion muddled his mind as well as the searing pain in his leg. In the outside wold, Cronus had laid the mallet to break his other knee. Xelloss grimaced at the painful sensation of the nerves traveling up his body in slow motion.

_-Thy death is unavoidable.-_ The wolf continued to gaze at him_. -However, I offer thee a choice in thine fate.-_

"C-choice?" Xelloss croaked through cracked lips. Blood was beginning to sting his eyes.

_Either perish at the hands of thine clan who has betrayed thee, or die by mine jaws _the single golden eye flickered as the wolf waited a response.

Xelloss gritted his teeth when the felt his left elbow shatter under the mallet. He squinted through the blood to stare into the golden eye of the wolf with a mixture of great apprehension and awe at a sudden realization. "You! Y-you are...!"

_-Aye, I am thine Goddess these pitiful humans worship.- _In an almost comfortingly manner, the wolf's long pink tongue lapped up the beads of sweat and blood on the young man's brow._ -Thine revenge can be wrought through mine body. I offer thy village as sacrifice!-_

Underneath the pain and fear, Xelloss felt a burning rage fester in his heart. They had no right to kill him! Was he not the 'child of prophesy'? How _dare_ they do this to him!

"I...I want..." Xelloss locked eyes with the wolf._ "Revenge!"_

The Goddess made a pleasing sound and continued to lick at the young man's face, its wet snout traveling down over the exposed neck.

Outside from the Goddess' influence, Cronus was raising the mallet one last time to smash the sacrifice's head. Xelloss had not even noticed that his right elbow had been destroyed.

The expansive jaw opened and clamped over Xelloss' neck, the many rows of sharp teeth pricking soft skin. Xelloss closed his eyes, and waited.

_-Mine influence that has surrounded thee since birth is now at a full circle. Xelloss, mine most Beloved servant, become one and consume this mortal's flesh!-_

Fang tore through meat and tendon, the young human's throat gurgled as blood poured from his mouth and filled his lungs, rendering him unable to scream. As Xelloss' body and his conscious began to die and fade, he felt a black miasma flow from the jaws of the Goddess and into the wound. Like black flames licking at dried wood, the miasma consumed both his body and soul from the inside out until all that was left was utter darkness...

"Wh-what the hell!" High Priest Cronus leaped away as the body of the sacrifice violently shook and suddenly became engulfed in a swirling mist of darkness.

Both priests and villagers muttered amongst themselves, confused and uneasy at the sudden strange turn of events. "It's the Divine Gift, it has to be!" one of the younger priests cried, sending an excited buzz to run through the spectators.

Cronus silenced the noise with a wave of his hand._ 'How could this be the Divine Gift?'_ he thought with worry._ 'The Goddess herself had instructed me to kill him!'_

Further thoughts halted at the sight of the dark mist diminishing. The darkness seemed to seep in on itself, as if drawn towards some hidden source. A collective gasp was heard from the crowd. Cronus' eyes widened in shock, too stunned for words at what the dark mist revealed as its source.

"Ahh, never have I ever felt so comfortable in this physical realm!" the sacrifice stretched his arms over his head, not a trace of the brutal abuse his body had endured marred his pale skin. The only evidence that remained to suggest the violence inflicted upon his person was in the bloodstained and tattered white robes he wore.

"It cannot be!" Conus took several steps back, the bloodied mallet dropping from his nerveless grasp. "I was supposed to kill you!"

"Hm?" Xelloss looked up at Cronus, as if noticing him and the awestruck mob for the first time. "Oh, _that_. Apparently my Mistress had beaten you to that task, though I should say that you did quite a number on this kid, and we are both grateful for that."

Terror stamped across the old priest's face. He raised one trembling finger at the being sitting on the pillar. "What are you?" fear raised his voice to a shriek. "Tell me!"

"Just my Mistress' most 'Divine Gift' to herself, that's all." Xelloss flicked one long finger at Cronus.

A bewildered expression crossed the High Priest's face, then his head exploded. Fragments and large chunks of his flesh, bone and brains flew through the air before the headless body crumpled to the ground.

The only sound to be heard among the stunned crowd was the sound of Xelloss' laughter. "Haha! What excellent rage this human has! It's truly a boost to my powers!" As gleeful as a child with a new toy, he twisted his hand to flick at another unfortunate human.

Someone–a woman in the crowd screamed. Then like a chain reaction, panic ensued. The mob that had gathered for the sake of bloodlust was now fleeing from an otherworldly being that radiated that same desire, only now the bloodlust was directed at them. In a frenzy, both villagers and priests tried to defend themselves and their families against the monster that had appeared in their midst.

But there was no escape for the humans on Wolfpack Island, especially not from Beastmaster Zelas Metallium's one and only Mazoku servant:

Xelloss.

**

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**Now...**

Xelloss shuddered and hugged his frame. It was not the cold that chilled him, but rather the startlingly vivid memory of the massacre he had committed._ 'And I enjoyed ever moment of it, both my human and mazoku parts. But now...'_ he shivered again, a hollow ache filling his heart. 'I don't know how to deal with these human emotions. Its almost too much!'

He stared miserably up into the sky, where the smoke from the fire disappeared into the darkness to mix with the stars. Xelloss was just beginning to flirt with the notion of sleep when he suddenly sensed a presence behind him.

Not wanting to appear alarmed, Xelloss remained in his seat and turned to peer into the dark forest behind him. "Who's there?" the demand was met with silence, and the intruder remained. Xelloss placed a hand over a burning stick of wood as an improvised weapon. "Zelgadis?"

The presence crept closer. It was a dark miasma, one that radiated an unnatural enmity that prickled Xelloss' newly acquired human senses into a near panic, but he retained his composure. "Show yourself!"

Xelloss gasped and sprang to his feet, the burning stick held out in front of himself in a vain attempt to defend himself. He knew the identity of the intruder even before it emerged into the firelight. "Y-You!" Xelloss choked.

The figure materialized from the shadows, and performed a graceful bow before the stunned Xelloss. "It has been a while, has it not?"

By the light of the fire, Xelloss saw his body mirrored by the being across the glade. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to defend himself or flee. He instinctively knew, that doing either would be futile, for there was no escape from Xelloss, the Mazoku servant of Beastmaster Zelas Metallium.

TBC

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Please Please Please R/R! I would greatly appreciate it!


	5. Temptation

Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Authors Notes: ARRGH! This took soooo long to write! Lots of talking and complex situations going on. I want to than the Slayers Wiki **KanzakaDex** for being my resource to make this story as viable as possible for the Slayers' History and Universe. As always, this story is dedicated to my Sausage Nibblit (you know who you are!)

***

Ch. 5 The Temptation

"Why are you here?" Xelloss demanded of the Mazoku, trying vainly to mask his fear with anger. "My–our Mistress has no further use of me...or has she ordered my death?"

"Sadly, no." The Mazoku replied in the dim firelight, his voice almost pitying. "She has given me strict orders not to harm you. Our Mistress is quite stubborn once she has made a decision, as you well know."

"I know." Xelloss snorted and turned his back on his unwanted guest to tend the fire. "If you're not here to kill me, then don't waste your time on me."

"My, aren't we testy?" The Mazoku tapped his red jeweled staff onto the dank earth before entering fully into the firelight. His clothing resembled exactly what Xelloss once wore, aside from the garments being entirely black. The sash and gloves were pale yellow, and the cloak was still black but the reverse side was the color of faded gold, which made the dark lean frame stand out against the inky blackness of the night. The Mazoku knelt beside the mortal, the expression in his eyes were obscured by long bangs the color of the fading night sky as he quietly watched the human's futile attempts trying to ignore the intruder.

Xelloss tossed a another log into the fire with as much nonchalance as he could muster. As inexperienced as he was with human emotions, Xelloss was determined not to give the intruder a satisfying meal from his negative emotions.

"Really now." The Mazoku Xelloss propped a hand under his chin. "You're acting as if I'm sone sort of parasite! And we used to be so close to each other..." he chuckled "Although I can't say that I miss the human weakness you harbor."

The mortal Xelloss scowled and turned towards the Mazoku. "Are you here to gloat at me?"

"No." The dark figure shook his head. "I came to observe you. I trust that your adjustment to mortality has been quite difficult?"

"I'll manage." Xelloss turned away once again to stir the embers with the same stick he had tried to use in his defense. "Don't be concerned on my behalf."

"Oh, But I am." The dark creature casually tapped the red jewel of his staff. "I take it that you've been having nightmares lately?"

Xelloss' grip on the stick tightened. "If I did, It's none of your business" he replied a bit too hastily.

The Mazoku noted the mortal's sudden anxiety and leaped at the chance to strike. "Then by now you must have recalled some of those painful memories, like the cleansing on Wolf Pack Island perhaps?" the Mazoku chuckled again, this time with more enjoyment. "Our Mistress is an uncanny one to have allowed humans to live in her domain just so that she could groom an individual such as yourself for her purposes. Did you know that you are the fourth 'Child of Prophecy' to have lived?"

"No" Xelloss whispered, the stick trembling in his hand as his eyes remained fixed, and yet unseeing into the flames.

"All of the other sacrifices were not worthy enough for our Mistress. Only you had the potential to wreck nasty deeds upon your fellow humans, and you were the only one that called for the darkness when other sacrifices were too terrified to even scream!"

_"Shut up!"_ Xelloss flung the burning stick at the monster, who easily leaped back and caught the burning end with one hand. The flames did not singe its gloves, which were part of the Mazoku's astral body. He smirked at his human counterpart. "Tender subject, hm?"

Rage filled Xelloss. His fists clenched as tightly as he could, his entire being delved for the power within him to attack the Mazoku–but the power was still blocked, and nothing came.

"You want to kill me?" the dark Xelloss regarded the human sympathetically with a small shake of his head, his eyes still obscured by his hair. He threw the stick back into the fire. "You know that attempting to do so is futile, and suicidal if I've not been ordered to refrain from killing you."

Xelloss forced himself to relax and steady his emotions, he refused to fall into the Mazoku's trap. "The child– and the human I once was died over a thousand years ago." His emotions now collected, he turned away from his mirror image to watch the flames once again. "I am a product of our Mistress's whims, this shell of body is the only thing remotely human that I possess. I have been a Mazoku for most of my existence I don't know what else to be."

"Is that so?" The Mazoku Xelloss drawled, tapping his bejeweled staff into the soggy earth. "With a human body comes human emotions, and a human reaction to past misdeeds."

"Don't!" Xelloss jerked around to face the Mazoku, his voice pleading. "I beg you, please!"

"You showed little remorse for wanting to kill off your entire village down to the last infant." The black robed Xelloss tapped his chin in thought. "I believe that it is a different incident that we committed, and that you regret the most..."

**Over a thousand years ago...**

Five years had passed since Wolf Pack Island had been 'cleansed' of human contamination. It had been ten years since the Missionary party had left for the mainland, only to be caught in the middle of a conflict between two human kingdoms that were fighting for resources. Of the forty that had originally left for the mainland only twelve returned. The priest's once glorious white robes were now reduced to stained tatters, their faces thin and dispirited by the failure of their mission. Many bore scars and mending bones from the long journey.

Most of the residing human kingdoms in the peninsula were busy preparing and competing for their own survival in the crossfire between the Mazoku and the God's war. The Missionary party, however small posed a threat to the dwindling resources. Besides, both kingdoms did not look kindly upon outside religions interfering in their personal war. And now after a long and bitter journey the Missionary party have finally returned to their home only to find it in ruins.

"By the Goddess! What happened here?" One of the older priests exclaimed as he leaped off the boat to rush ashore.

"It's all true! Everything that the merchants have said is true!" a thin voice from the boat rose to a pitiful wail "Our village is gone! Everything dead and gone!" Almost immediately the boats emptied upon the blackened sands. Some of the survivors began to curse and scream their sorrow to the winds, while others milled about with shock stamped upon their faces,

A young priest in his mid-twenties stood still in the shallow shores as he stared at the charred remains of his village. He was neither wailing or cursing like his comrades. Instead he walked impassively from the salty waters until he was striding though the ruined town, following some twisted path between the splintered and scorched wood. Every so often he would spot the bleached white of human bones among the wreckage, broken and gnawed by the sacred wolves that inhabited the island's forest.

The young man brushed aside his sandy colored hair from his eyes as he continued his trek. He did not stop walking until he reached the sad remains of a small hut with only the foundation remaining. Here, the young priest Kris collapsed to his knees and openly wept his grief.

"No one was left to bury the dead." Someone said behind Kris.

The young priest spun around at the sound of the familiar voice– and could only stare in disbelief as he saw his old friend sitting on a broken pillar high among the ruins of the great white temple. "Xelloss? Is that you?!" Kris stumbled over rubble in his haste to reach his friend, tears streaming down his face. "What happened here? Why is the village destroyed? My family–the temple–by the Goddess what happened to it all!?" Engulfed by the sea of overwhelming emotions, the young human failed to notice the change of appearance that his old friend now sported; namely the change of his wardrobe bearing black and faded gold–rather then the traditional white, and the addition of a red bejeweled staff.

Xelloss gazed down at the weeping human. He tapped his staff upon the bone-white marble pillar and smiled with eyes obscured by long bangs. "The Goddess had much to do with the fate of this village. After all, it was _she_ who allowed humans to settle on her sacred island in the first place."

Still shaking with grief, Kris paused to wipe his eyes. "W-what? What do you mean?"

"I mean to say that this entire village was merely a sacrifice for my forthcoming." Xelloss waved his staff to indicate the demolished buildings and bones that gleamed in the sunlight.

Kris' face paled with sudden realization and started to back away. "You're...you can't be–who are you!?" he demanded.

"Why, my dear Kris...I am the same Xelloss you have known and befriended, though now I am even more capable to serve our Goddess. After all, the final clash between both the Mazoku and the Gods is about to unfold. A piece of Ruby Eye Shabranigdu is about to be reborn, and he will destroy the god Aqualord Ragradia and this world without fail." Xelloss tilted his face toward the sun, his eyes closed in a serene expression as he enjoyed the sun's rays. "As my Mistress' one and only general and priest I must be the most deadliest of weapons to fight in her name, even if it means merging with a human to add his potent rage to my Mazoku essence in order to exploit on those emotions to add to my power."

"You're a Mazoku?" Kris' quavering voice was barely above a terrified whisper. "Why this...why Xelloss?"

"Your village has done well to inspire my young human's rage. He was understandably agitated once he realized that his people had orphaned him with the intention of raising him as a sacrificial offering to our beloved Goddess. That rage from the betrayal– cultivated through years of deceit by your temple, was as exquisite as the finest of wines." The creature opened his violet eyes to fix his gaze upon the dumbstruck young priest. "The human Xelloss willingly took my Mazoku essence that was offered to him by my Mistress. We are one–the human and I, and he rejoiced in his rage as he was reborn in me. And we also rejoiced in the frenzy that was the cleansing of our island!"

The Kris shook his head, his eyes wide and staring with disbelief. "No! The Goddess would never do such a thing to her children" his voice rose to a hollow shriek "I won't! I refuse to believe it!" The remaining humans began to trickle in on the scene upon hearing Kris screaming at Xelloss.

"It's the Prophetic one!" one of the older priests whispered in a hiss and gestured to the dark figure up on the pillar.

The sounds of the voices, coupled with the sour taste of fear attracted the attention of the Mazoku. The small band of humans shuddered as Xelloss turned his face upon them–and they were surprised to see Xelloss' eyes closed and a carefree smile on his lips. "As a gift, our Mistress was gracious enough to allow me the pleasure of disposing each and every one of those pathetic souls on this sacred Mazoku ground. I wonder, will you and your fellow kinsmen scream and beg for mercy like your families did before I ended their meaningless existence?"

"How dare you!" A middle aged priest with an ugly scar over his eye cried. "After everything we did for you–you filthy accursed creature!" The priest waved his battered staff in a challenging manner as he prepared an offensive spell.

"And what exactly do you plan to _do_ to me?" the Mazoku asked pointedly "It would be no small feat for me to rip all your throats out in half a heartbeat, or would you still care to challenge me?"

The scarred priest ignored the warning and fired a Ra Tilt of considerable power at the demon. The blue white of the spell engulfed the Mazoku, who remained sitting calmly and unmoved upon the broken pillar. A few strands of his cropped violet hair floated slightly from the shamanistic spell's effect. Suddenly the spell shattered with a sound like a lighting crack quickly followed by a burst of blinding light-- revealing Xelloss still seated upon the pillar without any indication that he had been affected by the Ra Tilt at all.

"My, my! This human ingredient of mine does add quite a boost to shielding my astral body, it hardly felt more than a kitten scratch!" He smiled delightedly at the dumbstruck scarred priest. "I had yet to test my new abilities against a Ra Tilt..." he made a casual wave of his finger towards the priest. "And I thank you for that."

The unlucky priest barely had time to take half a step back before his entire body burst apart amid a spray of white-hot fire. The humans uttered small cries of horror as bits of their comrade's charred remains thumped noisily onto the ground.

Xelloss leaped off the pillar to land among the remaining humans who hastily backed away in a panic, all except for one. The murderous intent rising in that particular young human did not escape the Mazoku's attention.

"Gods Damn you Xelloss!" Kris seethed, his eyes glaring daggers of hatred. "You have no right!" The young priest's hands twitched with the urge to strangle his enemy.

"_I_ have every right" the corner of Xelloss' mouth turned upward in a delighted sneer. "It was my mission to fulfill for my Mistress. It was quite an honor to exterminate the vile human rodents off this land!"

The Mazoku's jibe hade the desired effect, it was that push that set Kris over the edge. With a shriek of rage he charged blindly at his tormentor with a small dagger raised. Xelloss countered the attack with laughable ease and grabbed Kris' sword arm in one lighting fast motion.

"You bastard!" Kris struggled to escape Xelloss' grasp. "Just kill me and get it over with!"

Xelloss released his hold on the human and callously shoved him to the ground. "No I will not. I rather like your flavor." The Mazoku inched closer to the young human, who hastily backed away. "It would be such a waste to destroy such a delicacy such as yourself..."

Dismissing Kris, Xelloss turned to address the remaining humans who had stood silent and frozen with terror. "I will permit you and the rest of your pathetic rabble to flee with your lives intact" he waved a hand in a unconcerned manner at his rapt audience. "But you must do it now before I change my mind and allow the wolves to feast upon your carcasses." Xelloss tapped his staff to the ground, the smile never leaving his face as he opened his violet eyes upon the terrified group of mortals. "Now scram"

Xelloss hummed a tune to himself as he watched the humans scramble over each other in their haste to get to the dusty shores. All were clawing, screaming, and clamoring over each other to get into the moored boats.

"Hmph, don't they realize that such lack of organization will only waste more time?" Xelloss liftedboth eyebrows up as if suddenly remembering something. He turned around to bow his head to the last remaining human who did not flee for the boats.

"Farewell my 'friend' Kris, we shall most defiantly be meeting again for another meal." With that, the Mazoku disappeared with his parting laughter ringing in Kris' ears.

**Now.**

Xelloss collapsed to one knee at the sudden rush of the frightening memory. His Mazoku counterpart laughed mockingly.

"And we did visit him many more times afterward. How utterly delectable his emotions were! Then years later, he finally took his own life to escape the madness and the guilt you stirred in him." The Mazoku smirked at the effect his words had on the human. "And I do recall that you took a particular pleasure in tormenting him!"

"Why..." Xelloss ran a shaky hand through his hair in a desperate attempt to collect himself "why are you here?" he shot the dark creature with an icy stare. "Are you here to feed off my human despair, huh? Are you taking your fill from me yet?" he spat.

For the first time the Mazoku Xelloss' face became suddenly serious. "I am not here to feed upon you" his eyes opened for the first time to reveal golden irises that glittered like cursed gold in the firelight. "I came to show you how vulnerable you are to human mortality."

"Huh?" Xelloss blinked, caught off guard by this statement. "What do you mean?"

"As you may have noticed, you are incapable of using magic."

"So?" the human huffed defensively and tuned away from both the firelight and his counterpart. "I'll manage."

"I think not. You still possess some mazoku qualities that feed off the frailties of your human body. Do you not feel your Mazoku half tearing at your human side?"

For a long time Xelloss did not answer. He jumped when gloved hands slithered from behind to wrap around his torso. Xelloss froze. He did not dare move, for a wrong thought or movement could end his life while being embraced by a Mazoku.

"Why..." the young human gulped as he nerved himself to ask his most dangerous question "why are you so affixed on me?"

For a few heart-pounding minutes the Mazoku did not reply, all that could be heard was the faint sound of the fire crackling in the distance.

The dark Xelloss did not ease his grasp upon the young human as he made up his mind to reply. "I have taken several appearances when I projected my astral self upon the physical realm, including many different human forms to suit my needs. Your body was destroyed in the merge, it was the _imprint_ of your form that I consumed, and it was the blueprint of the human image that I permanently took– and it made it possible for me to flit around so comfortably and convincingly in the physical plane among the humans. And it was that original imprint that was taken away from my psyche to be made into your current physical body."

The Mazoku leaned over to whisper quietly. "A part of me is inside you" the Mazoku breathed into the human Xelloss' ear. "That part longs to rejoin, as do you wish to return to me."

"What are you saying?" The human whispered back.

"The cliffs lie straight ahead. Without a body to anchor your soul, we should be able to reunite on the Astral Plane. Then you and I shall be whole again." The arms withdrew. The human slowly tuned to face the Mazoku.

"Why don't you just kill me yourself?"

"You know just as well as I do that it is impossible for me to interfere with our Mistress' orders. She ordered that I do no physical harm, but anything else is up to you. The life she has granted you is yours to keep, or destroy."

Xelloss' eyes looked away in uncertainty, torn by the temptation. "How can you be certain that we'll merge again?"

"I am not, but there is that chance." The Mazoku gently tilted the young man's face towards his, gold eyes met violet. "There is nothing for you here. Neither Mazoku nor humans will ever accept you as one of their own. You'll never lose it...the warring conflict that you receive from violence and suffering. No matter what you do, you will never find peace in this physical realm. Only that is certain." The golden eyes held as much pity as one of the Mazoku race could contain. "The question is, how long are you willing to endure that suffering?"

Tears filled the violet eyes. Xelloss jerked his head from the Mazoku's hand. He took a few hesitant steps backwards, then turned and fled into the forest without looking back at the dwindling fire and the dark Mazoku who bore his face.

"Whatever you choose..." Mazoku Xelloss murmured to the darkness before melting away into the shadows. "We shall rejoin again someday. My precious 'counterpart.'"

***

Black despair engulfed Xelloss' heart. He wanted to get away from the Mazoku– away from the mirror image of his face that stared back at him with those glittering eyes...eyes that were like those that belonged to Zelas Metallium. And he wanted to flee from those horrible truths. That first fateful massacre on the island...tormenting Kris to his death...he himself took pleasure from all of it, and the human emotion of guilt he felt was almost too much to bear.

He crashed heedlessly through the underbrush, uncaring of the direction that he went. At times he ran on sheer momentum, as if some invisible force was pulling him in the direction that he knew in his heart wanted to go.

The trees broke open to reveal the empty Autumn night sky beyond the broken rock of a cliff's edge. Sharp icy wind whipped Xelloss' hair against his face, biting his flesh. Holding his cloak steady, he cautiously approached the brink of the cliff to peer down with eyes wide open at the yawning black void. His eyes stung from the icy wind blowing up from far below. The drop was immeasurable. He suddenly felt the urge to be swallowed by that darkness, like he once did many, many years ago.

_'Once again I chose the darkness to consume me.'_ he thought sadly as he took a few slow strides backwards as he nerved himself and his pounding heart. He broke into a run as fast as he could toward the dangerous edge. _I am tired of this realm. I only want to find peace again!'_ he leaped off the edge as far as he could and all thoughts went blank. The cold night air engulfed his body and for a moment his eyes caught a glimpse of the full moon and stars breaking though the clouds, then his body tilted downwards towards the inky blackness of oblivion.

TBC


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